How best to fight secular stagnation

Much of the world, especially the advanced economies, has been mired in a pattern of slow and declining GDP growth in recent years, causing many to wonder whether this is becoming a semi-permanent condition - so-called "secular stagnation". The answer is probably yes, but has limited utility. There are, after all, different types of forces that could be suppressing growth, not all of which are beyond our control.

Many of the growth-destroying headwinds that we currently face would be difficult, if not impossible, to counter in the near term without endangering future growth and stability. The result of these persistent conditions can be called "secular stagnation one" (SS1).

The first indication that we are experiencing SS1 relates to technology. If we are, as the economist Robert Gordon argues, experiencing a slowdown in productivity-enhancing technological innovation, long-term potential growth would be constrained.